Aid getting through

DEC member agencies and their partners are continuing to deliver vital aid in Gaza, despite the breakdown of the ceasefire which ended at 8am local time on Friday 8 August.

Although fighting has since resumed, it has so far been less intense than in the preceding weeks. On Saturday 9 August an explosion shook the offices of Christian Aid partner PMRS but staff continued their work organising medical support for those affected by the conflict. A number of aid workers, including volunteers, have been killed or injured. The Palestinian Red Crescent, a partner of DEC member the British Red Cross, has seen two workers killed and 42 injured.

DEC member agencies will continue to seek to scale up their response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza at every opportunity, providing increased assistance wherever and whenever the security situation allows. To make sure this can happen, the support of the UK public for aid workers risking their lives on the frontline in Gaza is vital.

The DEC Gaza Crisis Appeal has got off to a very strong start with £4.5m raised within 24 hours of the launch, including £2m given by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), which matched early public donations to the appeal pound for pound.

DEC Chief Executive Saleh Saeed said:

“The fact that the Gaza Crisis Appeal has reached more than £4.5m under 24 hours from launch is a testament to the amazing generosity of the British public.

The funds are desperately needed, with on-going fighting in Gaza creating an unbearable situation for families and children. Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes, the healthcare system is on the verge of collapse and many people have little or no clean water.

Despite the end of the ceasefire, aid is getting through and many of our member agencies are still working on the ground. But with the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, they urgently need more money to scale up their life-saving work.”

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The Disasters Emergency Committee brings together 14 leading UK aid agencies to raise money at times of humanitarian crisis in poorer countries. By working together we can raise more money to save lives and rebuild shattered communities.